Are errors differentiable from deceptive responses when feigning memory impairment? An fMRI study.
Previous neuroimaging studies have suggested that the neural activity associated with truthful recall, with false memory, and with feigned memory impairment are different from one another. Here, we report a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study that addressed an important but yet unanswered question: Is the neural activity associated with intentional faked responses and with errors differentiable? Using a word list learning recognition paradigm, the findings of this mixed event-related fMRI study clearly indicated that the brain activity associated with intentional faked responses was different to the activity associated with errors committed unintentionally. For intentional faked responses, significant activation was found in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, the posterior cingulate region, and the precuneus. However, no significant activation was observed for unintentional errors. The results suggest that deception, in terms of feigning memory impairment, is not only more cognitively demanding than making unintentional errors but also utilizes different cognitive processes.
Lee
Tatia M C
TM
Laboratory of Neuropsychology, The University of Hong Kong, K610, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong, China. tmclee@hkusua.hku.hk
Au
Ricky K C
RK
Liu
Ho-Ling
HL
Ting
K H
KH
Huang
Chih-Mao
CM
Chan
Chetwyn C H
CC
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D008192:Deception; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011930:Reaction Time; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology; D012660:Semantics; D055815:Young Adult